This Week on TV – 11/18/18-11/24/18

Welcome to a new week of TV! It’s a much slower week because of the Thanksgiving holiday in the US, but there are a good number of shows on, especially early in the week, so be sure to check out the schedule below so you don’t miss anything!

Sunday

Sunday features 6 series premieres, 3 season premieres, & 5 season finales. To read more about the new series, click the link below. Otherwise, check out tonight’s schedule!

Click here for series premiere information

Tonight is the series premiere of Rebel Without a Crew on El Rey at 7/6c. Twenty-five years ago, Robert Rodriguez made his first feature-length film, El Mariachi. Armed with a budget of just $7,000 and 14 days to shoot his movie, Rodriguez created an award-winning film that changed independent filmmaking. To mark the 25th anniversary of El Mariachi, Rodriguez has invited five aspiring filmmakers to Austin, Texas to take on the same challenge. The twelve-part series follows filmmakers Scarlet Moreno, Alejandro Montoya Marin, Bola Ogun, Josh Stifter, and Bonnie-Kathleen “BK” Ryan as they attempt to shoot their own feature length film in two weeks with a budget of only $7,000.

Tonight is also the series premiere of Enemies: The President, Justice & The FBI on Showtime at 8/7c. The show will provide an in-depth look into the long history of conflict between American presidents and the FBI. Inspired by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tim Weiner’s book, Enemies: A History of the FBI, the series presents the long, complex history of presidents testing the rule of law and the FBI’s job to enforce it. Yet, this history also reveals the abuse of power is not only reserved for elected politicians. Men of zeal within the bureau, too, have abused their power. The show tells the story of the epic confrontations between the President and the FBI. From Nixon and Hoover to Trump and Comey, each battle illuminates a different facet of our democracy and the rule of law. Using the present as a prism, we look back to see which lessons held up, which didn’t, and how the current investigation of the Trump administration might turn out. The series will include intimate interviews with current and former officials, including those who were present for these moments in history, as well as interviews with journalists who broke the stories. Additionally, the show will feature rare archival video, audio and photographs juxtaposed with short, stylized reconstructed scenes that will place viewers in the room during some of these momentous historical events.

Tonight is also the series premiere of The Clinton Affair on A&E at 9/8c. Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the impeachment proceedings of former President Bill Clinton, the six-part documentary series weaves together never-before-seen archival footage with exclusive new interviews and examines the biggest political scandal of a generation and its lasting influence and reverberations on our country. Exploring broader topics including media, feminism, politics and power, the documentary investigates the history leading up to the impeachment trial and chronicles the role each of these forces played in this story of sex, power, money, lies and ideological warfare. The limited documentary event unfolds over three consecutive nights and traces the twisted, intertwined series of events that led to the impeachment trial that set the nation on the path towards a more staunchly partisan political system. The series features arresting archival footage as well as comprehensive interviews with the people closest to the events including a timely, in-depth reflection on the topic with Monica Lewinsky.

Tonight is also the series premiere of My Brilliant Friend on HBO at 9/8c. Filmed in Italian, this eight-episode series is based on the bestselling book of the same name, the first of the quadrilogy by Elena Ferrante published in the US by Europa Editions. When the most important friend in her life seems to have disappeared without a trace, Elena Greco, a now-elderly woman immersed in a house full of books, turns on her computer and starts writing the story of their friendship. She met Raffaella Cerullo, whom she has always called Lila, in the first year of primary school in 1950. Set in a dangerous and fascinating Naples, their story covers more than 60 years of their lives as she tries to describe the mystery of Lila, Elena’s brilliant friend and — in a way — her best friend and her worst enemy.

Tonight is the series premiere of Queen America on Facebook Watch at 9/8c. Set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Queen America is a dark comedy about Vicki Ellis, the most renowned (and ruthless) pageant coach in the state, and the hapless Samantha Stone who hopes Vicki can mold her into worthwhile contender for the title of Miss America. Vicki is desperately sought after by young women competing to be Miss America for one reason; she can turn any girl into a winner. But when she gets paired with the beautiful but unpolished Samantha, Vicki’s entire reputation might be at stake. The show stars Catherine Zeta-Jones at Vicki Ellis & Belle Shouse as Samantha Stone, as well as Jennifer Westfeldt, Isabella Amara, Judith Light, Megan West, Molly Price, Rana Roy, Teagle F. Bougere, & Victoria Justice.

Tonight is also the series premiere of Escape at Dannemora on Showtime at 10/9c. The show is based on the stranger-than-fiction prison break in upstate New York in the summer of 2015 which spawned a statewide manhunt for two convicted murderers, aided in their escape by a married female prison employee who carried on months-long affairs with both men. Benicio del Toro plays convicted murderer Richard Matt, an artistic yet intimidating force within the prison, who masterminds the escape. Patricia Arquette plays Tilly Mitchell, a working class wife and mother who supervises the prison tailor shop and becomes sexually involved with both men, ultimately agreeing to hide hacksaw blades in frozen hamburger meat to help them get out. Paul Dano plays David Sweat, a convicted cop-killer who may have genuine feelings for Tilly and becomes a reluctant partner in Richard Matt’s plot. The cast also features Bonnie Hunt, Eric Lange, and David Morse.

Monday

Monday features 2 series premieres & 2 season finales. To read more about the new series, click the link below. Otherwise, check out tonight’s schedule!

Click here for series premiere information

Tonight is the 2-hour series premiere of The Little Drummer Girl on AMC at 9/8c. Based on John le Carré’s best-selling literary masterpiece of the same name, The Little Drummer Girl is a six-part miniseries starring Alexander Skarsgård (Big Little Lies) as Becker, Michael Shannon (The Shape of Water, Nocturnal Animals) as Kurtz, and Florence Pugh (Lady Macbeth) as Charlie. Blurring the fine lines between love and hate; truth and fiction; and right and wrong; The Little Drummer Girl weaves a suspenseful and explosive story of espionage and high-stakes international intrigue. Set in the late 1970s, the pulsating thriller follows Charlie (Pugh), a fiery actress and idealist whose resolve is tested after she meets the mysterious Becker (Skarsgård,) while on holiday in Greece. It quickly becomes apparent that his intentions are not what they seem, and her encounter with him entangles her in a complex plot devised by the spy mastermind Kurtz (Shannon). Charlie takes on the role of a lifetime as a double agent while remaining uncertain of her own loyalties.

Tonight is also the complete first season premiere of The Final Table on Netflix at 3:01AM/2:01AMc. This is a global culinary competition show featuring the world’s most talented chefs fighting for a spot at the elite, Final Table made up of the greatest chefs from around the globe. The series features 12 teams of two chefs from around the world cooking the national dishes of Mexico, Spain, England, Brazil, France, Japan, the U.S., India, and Italy. Each episode focuses on a different country and its cuisine, with celebrity ambassadors, food critics and the country’s greatest chef eliminating teams until the finale. In that last episode, only one of our competing chefs will win a place at the Final Table, joining the nine legendary culinary icons — Enrique Olvera (Mexico), Andoni Aduriz (Spain), Clare Smyth (UK), Helena Rizzo (Brazil), Vineet Bhatia (India), Grant Achatz (US), Carlo Cracco (Italy), Yoshihiro Narisawa (Japan) and Anne-Sophie Pic (France). The series will be hosted by Andrew Knowlton, James Beard Award-winning writer and Editor at Large for Bon Appétit.

Tuesday

Tuesday features 1 series premiere, 1 season premiere, & 4 season finales. To read more about the new series, click the link below. Otherwise, check out tonight’s schedule!

Click here for series premiere information

Tonight is the series premiere of Brothers in Arms on History Channel at 10/9c. With almost twenty years of military and law enforcement experience between them, Rocco Vargas and Eli Cuevas are about to combine their talents and embark on a new adventure. Vargas and Cuevas are the new owners of Banditos Armory in the historic town of Ogden, UT. Their goal is simple, to take their expertise and passion and become the best one-stop shop for all things military. From fixing and testing a Cold War Russian tank, one of only a few in America, to solving the mystery of an unidentified Japanese WW2 contraption that Allied troops had never seen before – and didn’t know how to fire. There’s little that the team at Banditos won’t do to investigate, restore, build, and test the most innovative, iconic machines in military history. No challenge or question is too big for Vargas and Cuevas, whether they’re working with military historians and veterans, opening their door to inquiries from avid customers, or even seeking answers to burning questions of their own.